Houston Lately Vol 1 – The Best Spots in Houston

Jared and I have been in Houston officially for 4 months. We are so thrilled to be back in a big city with all of the amenities we could ever want at our fingertips. We’ve made a pretty good dent in our bucket list of places to eat and things to do. I wanted to compile the best spots in Houston we’ve tried in case you’re a fellow Houstonian or looking to plan a trip to Houston.

 

Houston Lately Vol 1 – The Best Spots in Houston

To Do:

Menil Museum/Park: The Menil Collection, located in Neartown Houston, Texas, the museum houses the private art collection of founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, and the collection itself of approximately 17,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and rare books. It’s free to visit and has a fabulous park perfect for picnics or reading!

Astros Game: We are die-hard Rangers fans, so when the Astros played the Rangers we had to get tickets. Minute Maid Park is right downtown and has a retractable roof to stay cool.

Levy Park: We stumbled across Levy Park when eating dinner at Woodshed (which is one of our Fort Worth faves that now has a Houston location). This park is super neat and very pet/family-friendly. They have probably the coolest playground I’ve ever seen! They also do outdoor movie nights in the summer.

The Galleria: For your shopping fix, the Galleria the place to go! They have everything from Gucci and Chanel to H&M and J.Crew.

 

Coffee:

Tiny’s Milk and Cookies: This is our recent obsession! They have great coffee and even better bakery items! Their scones and sausage biscuits are a must-try!

BlendIn Coffee Club: This coffee is shop is about 2 blocks away from our apartment so we frequently visit and they have the most aesthetically pleasing coffee shop. Definitely off the beaten path but I really like their pink latte, the Night Cap.

Common Bond: Common Bond is super popular with many locations and the line gets pretty long but it’s great coffee and a great atmosphere.

Bouchee Patisserie: This is probably my most frequented coffee shop because it’s just downstairs from my office so it’s perfect for that 3 PM fix. It’s super cute though and has the prettiest macarons!

 

Lunch Spots:

King Ranch Texas Kitchen: King Ranch Texas Kitchen is a new restaurant owned by Landry’s and their lunch menu is fabulous! They have great salads and great lunch specials.

Dish Society: I am OBSESSED with their Crispy Chicken Kale Ceasar Salad. Their menu has a wide variety but everything is great quality and made fresh.

 

Drinks:

Eighteen36: I recently met a friend here and their frozen Cherry Limeade was SO good! They have a great patio and also great options for appetizers!

FM Kitchen & Bar: Another great patio spot – Jared and I enjoyed happy hour here and split some great appetizers. They are also dog-friendly!

Eloise Nichols: I met a girlfriend here for happy hour last week and it was so quaint and cute with a great cheeseboard and happy hour special!

 

Quick Dinner:

Rice Box: Rice Box is our go-to lazy takeout. They are right down the road from us and you get so much food for a great price! Each entree comes with an egg roll and fried rice!

Guadalajara: There’s a lot of TexMex here (which I am not complaining about) but Guadalajara is hands down the best! They have great queso and fresh tortillas, but their Guadalupe Lime Beef Fajitas are to die for! They are so tender and seasoned perfectly!

Truth BBQ: This is probably Jared’s favorite restaurant we’ve been to! They have classic Texas BBQ, but they sell out quickly! Once they are sold out they close so I recommend getting there early or waiting in line before they open on weekends!

 

Nice Dinner:

Tiny Boxwoods: This was top of our list when we moved here and it did not disappoint! The service is unmatched along with the most unique atmosphere. We haven’t had a single thing we didn’t like on the menu.

Relish: Relish Restaurant & Bar is a neighborhood eatery in River Oaks/ Upper Kirby District that serves contemporary classic American comfort food with French and Italian influences in an environment. Their hot dog at lunch is AMAZING, but so is their pasta and seafood for dinner.

State of Grace: This is definitely the type of restaurant you go to when you are celebrating! Executive Chef Bobby Matos strums a jubilant medley of old favorites played with new spice, accent, and freshness: southern, American, Latin, Gulf Coast, German, and Asian.

Liberty Kitchen: If you love oysters, this is the place for you!

Mastro’s: Also another celebratory restaurant, Jared and I went here on our anniversary. This is classic fine dining restaurant but one of the only places you can get Japanese A5 Wagyu in Houston.

SixtyVines: Wine + Dine on eco-friendly tapped wine and the best farm-to-table cuisine Texas has to offer.

 

Treats:

Crumbl Cookies: You really can’t go wrong with Crumbl and their weekly flavors!

Tiny’s Milk and Cookies: Along with fabulous breakfast treats and coffee, Tiny’s has, as you guessed it, amazing milk and cookies and ice cream!

Amy’s Ice Cream: Another Texas staple, Amy’s has great hand-crafted unique ice cream flavors!

Tiff’s Treats: If you want warm fresh cookies delivered straight to your door, office, hotel, or wherever Tiff’s Treats is your place! Their snickerdoodles are my absolute fave!